Ball State tennis players Tom Carney and Matt Helm play against Eastern Illinois players Jared Woodson and Freddie Ammer in the match on Jan. 22 at Muncie's Northwest YMCA. The Cardinals are playing in the MAC Indoor Nov. 10-Nov. 12 in Michigan. Grace Ramey, DN File

Men’s tennis heads to Western Michigan for MAC tournament

Ball State men’s tennis travels to Kalamazoo, Michigan this weekend for the annual Mid-American Conference tournament.

While some players have had a break from competition this fall, head coach Bill Richards said not playing shouldn't be an issue.

“We have played quite a bit this fall,” Richards said. “Everybody is relatively matched and tough at this point.”

Last season at this tournament, only one Ball State player won its flight. While the MAC tournament is marked as one of the most difficult matches of the season, Richards said the team is striving to perform well, despite two of its top players graduating last year.

“I think the guys we have returning have improved," Richards said. "We have some good freshmen too."

Junior Nemanja Guzina will be playing in Flight A this weekend, which will feature top players from each team in the tournament.

“We are obviously in a good conference,” Guzina said. “Facing other Flight A players in the MAC is going to be a challenge.”

In the first match, Guzina will play against senior Maik Steiner of Western Michigan. At the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regional, Steiner went 4-1 and finished in the top four of the field of 128 competitors.

Ball State will face Western Michigan in three of the six flights in the first round. Richards said he thinks that the team will hold its own.

“It’s tough to win any of those flights with the number of good players in our conference," Richards said. "We will see what happens."

Guzina is one of those players that has been rested this fall.

“It’s going to be a challenge having not played in a tournament for about three weeks,” Guzina said. “But it’s something that you have to deal with.”

The tournament starts with doubles at 1 p.m. at West Hills Athletic Club.